To link to the entire object, paste this link in email, IM or documentTo embed the entire object, paste this HTML in websiteTo link to this page, paste this link in email, IM or documentTo embed this page, paste this HTML in website

Reframing school reform with effective tactics: institutionalizing culturally responsive pedagogy in alignment with policy-based accountability to ensure the achievement of African aAmerican students at the school level in urban settings

REFRAMING SCHOOL REFORM WITH EFFECTIVE TACTICS:
INSTITUTIONALIZING CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE PEDEGOGY
IN ALIGNMENT WITH POLICY-BASED ACCOUNTABILITY TO ENSURE
THE ACHIEVEMENT OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDENTS
AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL IN URBAN SETTINGS
by
Tameka L. McGlawn
____________________________________________________________________
A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree of
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION
August 2008
Copyright 2008 Tameka L. McGlawn

While legislative action and fiscal resources have been utilized to address Equity in public education through policy action nation-wide, school reform, primarily in urban settings continues to produce dismal large-scale results for African American students. Systemically addressing the achievement of African American students continues to persist as a challenging and complex matter. It has become a critical debate as to whether or not the implementation of standards-based reform and/or policy-based accountability in isolation is the appropriate method to improve the achievement of African American students. There is sufficient evidence that indicates that mandated accountability initiatives are not enough to bridge the widening gap of educational access and achievement opportunities for African American students.; The purpose of this qualitative research study was to investigate how educators who implement Culturally Responsive Pedagogy (CRP) in alignment with policy-based accountability can positively influence the education of African American students while attending to state and federal accountability policies. Utilizing qualitative research methodology and data analysis procedures, it was identified that there are "achievement and performance gaps" between federal and state policies and the execution of local level implementation, which present a difficult task for policy-makers and educational practitioners. Also, identified were the fundamental challenges entailed in actualizing school reform while aligning policy-based accountability in order to address achievement disparities. Critical areas to understanding CRP and how it can effectively be utilized to support the achievement of African American students included defining CRP, an examination of CRP's influence on instruction and relationships with African American students, and the organizational structures and resources required to affect learning opportunities for African American students while producing measurable achievement for African American students.; When effectively implemented with these components, Culturally Responsive Pedagogy (CRP) aligned with policy-based accountability can be considered a possible tactic and solution to improving the achievement for African American students. The implications detailed in this study can be used to design a promising Culturally Responsive Pedagogical framework, for state, district, and local policymakers and educators who are invested in the achievement of African American students.

REFRAMING SCHOOL REFORM WITH EFFECTIVE TACTICS:
INSTITUTIONALIZING CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE PEDEGOGY
IN ALIGNMENT WITH POLICY-BASED ACCOUNTABILITY TO ENSURE
THE ACHIEVEMENT OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDENTS
AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL IN URBAN SETTINGS
by
Tameka L. McGlawn
____________________________________________________________________
A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree of
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION
August 2008
Copyright 2008 Tameka L. McGlawn